Anonymity while surfing on the internet is not easy to maintain. Attackers and government agencies alike keep a track of your web activity and identity, with the former trying to infiltrate your system and violate your privacy. A lot has been going on recently to ring people’s minds with the fact that nobody is safe on the internet these days. Recently, the Ashley Madison Hack compromised over 37 million users. Now that is a staggering amount. It only goes to show how little people do to protect their identity and be anonymous while surfing on the internet.
Cyber terrorism is one of the biggest threats of the 21st century not because it can target entire economies, but because it can affect and destroy the lives of more people than a traditional terrorist attack. That being said, it is difficult to fend off attackers with a 100 percent success rate on your personal system. That is why we look to help you be completely, or near completely, anonymous online with the following methods.
Anonymizing Operating Systems
There are Operating Systems that can be booted via removable media every time you turn on your system. Linux Live Distro is a prime example of this class of Operating Systems. Live OSes like Tails focus keenly on the privacy and security of their users, so they are a good way to be anonymous online. You can even use Virtual Machines, or better still, use a Live OS on a Virtual Machine to achieve the best results.
Tor
Tor-enabled browsers are referred to as anonymizing browsers. You only need to enter a Tor network path, and the traffic will be directed via random Tor nodes, helping you maintain your anonymity. Using Tor exclusively though is not a great option as it can be bypassed as well as it greatly slows down connection speed. Coupling it with anonymizing OSes can be a good idea.
Refrain from Using Google
Google is the one search engine nobody can do without, only that it is one of the biggest threats to your privacy. Google tracks your location and identity with staggering efficiency, making it one of the biggest enemies of anonymity online. Instead, you can use DuckDuckGo search engine. Its search results are not as huge and accurate as Google’s, but it has garnered a good reputation for not invading your privacy.
Don’t use Credit Cards
Credit Cards, other than running the risk of attackers stealing your financial details and robbing you off your entire bank balance, are one of the biggest and easiest ways to track the identity and location of the user. Even services like PayPal are directed through a bank account. So it is better to stick to anonymous paying options like bitcoin.
Use Anonymous Connection Methods
Connecting from different locations and networks is a simple way to prevent users from finding out your real geographical location. As tardy as it may sound, it could work quite well. You can also use devices that are built specifically for this purpose, like ProxyGambit. It connects you to your destination through a network that is thousands of miles away from your system via a reverse tunnelled GDM bridge.
Conclusion
Privacy is everyone’s right, so it is not fair that one would have to fight for it with the odds stacked so unfavourably against him. But necessity is the mother of invention, and in this age where cyber-crimes are so common, the necessity of staying anonymous has resulted in methods discussed in this article to spring up. You can find other methods for yourselves as well to strengthen your guard further.
Image from Shutterstock.
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